Interim Ruling Council
The Interim Ruling Council was the legal governing body of the Galactic Empire after the death of Emperor Palpatine and throughout the Post-Endor Imperial power struggle. It ruled from 4 ABY to 8 ABY, when it was absolved in the wake of Bacharan Valak's coronation as Emperor of the reunified Empire. History After the death of Emperor Palpatine and the defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire became fragmented as numerous high-ranking Imperial officials and officers began carving out pieces of the Empire to claim their own. They declared themselves Warlords, and set about establishing their own empires and soon began fighting with each other for control of more territory and resources. The power struggle began. In the midst of the power struggle, members of the Imperial Inner Circle, the Imperial Court, the Grand Admiral's Council, the Moff Council, and high-ranking military officers joined together, realizing the only way to defeat the rebellion was to remain unified. Thus, the Interim Ruling Council was born, its goal to bring back all the former Imperials who had gone Warlord and revitalize the Galactic Empire. The Council was based off of Imperial Center and in the months after Endor set about finding a leader to represent the Council and to attract Imperials to their leadership. During this search for a leader, however, the Rebel Alliance struck Imperial Center in the Battle of Coruscant and drove away the defending fleet, taking the planet and forming the New Republic. The leaders of the Council escaped from Coruscant before its fall to the distant planet of Dreven, a mysterious, dark planet deep within the Outer Rim. It was here that Warlord Tagger, a former admiral in the Imperial Navy, brought his large fleet, the Emperor's Pride Fleet, and was made the leader of the Interim Ruling Council. The Council called him "Emperor", but Tagger failed to rally the fragments of the Empire to his banner. After Tagger's failure at the Second Battle of Coruscant, the Ruling Council replaced him with another Warlord who had recently joined at Dreven, Dobbs. Dobbs proved to be another weak and ineffectual leader, and was executed by a Dark Jedi, Wyth Skellheim, who proceded to purge the Ruling Council. Various Grand Admirals and Moffs were executed, including Grand Moff Valence, and Skellheim declared himself Emperor. To the Ruling Council's dismay, however, Skellheim disappeared into the Unknown Regions. A dark cloud was cast over the Ruling Council, as infighting amongst the Council members broke out over who would lead the Council. Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Director of Imperial Intelligence, Dekan, attempted to install the easily manipulated Holger into power as a puppet leader, and succeeded in elevating Holger to the position of Regent of the Empire. But the Empire was in need of a strong figurehead, and it was not until Alaric Darkstar arose to power, and stabilized the Council from their manipulative ways, that the Empire achieves this. Darkstar declared himself Emperor and sets about reunifying the Empire, launching several major campaigns against opposing Warlords. Darkstar was capable in bringing a large portion of the Empire back together, but ultimately failed as more conflict broke out in the Interim Ruling Council. Skellheim had returned, and launched a campaign to reclaim his position of power from Darkstar. The Council became split, and many of the gains Darkstar had achieved were quickly wiped away. In the end, however, Darkstar proved victorious, and Skellheim was executed. Grand Admiral Thrawn withdrew his fleet shortly after, effectively reducing the Ruling Council to a mere few fleets remaining. As a result of Thrawn's departure and the conflict against Skellheim, Darkstar abdicated and was replaced by Grand Moff Ariak Caldny. Caldny refused to take the title of Emperor, considering it a spot that no man other than Palpatine could fill. Caldny led the Ruling Council through several victorious campaigns, including the Battle of Etti IV, but with failing health and with little support from the rest of the Council, Caldny was replaced by the strong-willed and charismatic Warlord Bacharan Valak, whom had recently joined with the Ruling Council with his large fleet he had assembled, crushing various opponent warlords and claiming their resources and warships. Behind the scenes, much of the currents within the Intrim Ruling Council since Wyth were gently manipulated by the Director of COMPNOR (IntSec) himself, Drocal Arconen, who's goal it was to maintain the purity of vision that Emperor Palpatine had established decades ago. A student of Director Dekan, Drocal took an almost religious view of Palpatine and utilized his influence through COMPNOR (the COMmission for the Preservation of the New ORder), steel ironwill and icy disposition to ensure a fundamental level of society and culture within the Empire was maintained. A man of checks and balances, Drocal took care of matters in the background as each successive Intrim Leader took to the forefront and throne. The size of the Ruling Council's territory was nearly doubled with the arrival of Valak. Massive re-militarization and industralization began, and the factories and shipyards produced more and more fighting machines for the Empire. The Ruling Council, at Valak's urges, began construction on an advanced Death Star deep within the Outer Rim, and Valak's top advisors began formulating plans to reconquest the galaxy. From 6 ABY to 8 ABY, Valak led a series of campaigns against the remaining Warlords and regained numerous fleets and star systems for the Ruling Council. In the latter days of 7 ABY, Valak crushed the last known resistance to the Interim Ruling Council, Lorn Rhys and his Vigilant Movement. The days of the Interim Ruling Council had come to an end in 8 ABY, when Bacharan Valak was coronated as the first official Emperor to succeed Palpatine in Castle Tsabak on Dreven. The Galactic Empire had been reunified, and the Interim Ruling Council was no more, replaced by the Imperial Ruling Circle as Valak began a massive program of reorganization. Leaders of the Interim Ruling Council Warlord Tagger (4 ABY) Warlord Dobbs (4 ABY–5 ABY) Dark Lord Wyth Skellheim (5 ABY) Warlord Alaric Darkstar (5 ABY) Grand Moff Caldny (5 ABY–6 ABY) Warlord Bacharan Valak (6 ABY–8 ABY) Category:Imperial Entities & Terminology From SW1ki, a Wikia wiki.